Canopy.



I. E. PALMER.

CANOPY.

APPLIOATION FILED 00w. 19,1908.

926,209. Patented June 29, 1909.

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I. E. PALMER.

CANOPY.

Arrmonm t run) our. 19,1900.

Patented June 29, 1909.

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UNITED STATES OFFICE.

ISAAC E. PALMER, OF MIDDLEIOWN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE 1. PALMER CO., OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

CANOPY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC E. PALMER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Canopies, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanlying drawings, is a specification, like numera s on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to canopies or canopy tops of fabric suitably shaped previous to the application of the distending band or ring thereto and preferably provided with means to prevent distortion of said ring by the fabric in the event of the use of a highly flexible or pliant ring, or of the fabric b the ring if the latter be not highly flexib e or pliant.

In order that the principles of the invention may be clearly understood, I have disclosed certain types or embodiments thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a canopy from which the pendent portion has been omitted Fig. 2 is a plan view of the fabric to which a flexible or pliant or other hoop or ring may be applied in accordance with my invention; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the fabric shown in Fig. 2 after the ring or hoop has been applied thereto Fig. 4 is a plan view of a fabric'and hoo embodying another form of my invention; ig. 5 is a modified form of the construction shown in Fig. 4 Figs. 6 and 7 are plan views of still further forms of my invention; Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of the preferred manner of uniting the ends of the ring; Figs. 9 and 10 represent canopy tops constructed in accordance with my 1nvention of suitable form other than circular; Fig. 11 represents a further embodiment of my invention; and Fig. 12 represents one of the flexible cano y rings and attached fabric compacted for s iipment.

Canopies, as distinguished from umbrellas,

arasols and the like have been made hereto ore of suitable fabric suspended b cord or otherwise and provided with a cistention hoop. So far as I am aware, however, it has heretofore been the practice to lay an unshaped and unprepared fabric upon a distention hoo to secure it temporarily circumferentiall to the latter after drawing it Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 19, 1908.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Serial No. 468,383.

taut in all directions, and when the fabric is seemingly smooth, to secure it permanently to the hoop by hemming it about the latter. It is invariably found, however, that the fabric very soon becomes slack and sags at several points. I have discovered this to be owing to the fact that those portions of the fabric wherein the warp and weft threads lie bias or non-radial to the hoop, more readily yield to the distending strain of the hoop than do the portions wherein the warp and weft threads lie radial or substantially so to the hoop. That is, the fabric is soon drawn out of its proper shape by the hoop. I have remedied this defect by giving the fabric a predetermined shape prior to its application to the hoop and preferably by providing it with means to resist the distending action of the hoop or vice versa. The hoop or ring may be of any suitable material, such as wood, but in many instances I prefer to form it of highly flexible tempered, spring metal, susceptible of being readily bent into a series of circular portions, such as shown in Fig. 12, so that the ring with the attached canopy fabric may be compactly shipped or stored. IVhile such highly flexible canopy rings are desirable for various reasons, it has been impossible heretofore so far as I am aware to maintain the desired shape of the ring when positioned in the fabric. Even though the ring be given, prior to its application to the fabric, a predetermined curvature, the ring is distorted thereby or the fabric by the ring.

In certain forms of my invention, I contemplate the provision of a circular, highly flexible distention ring and provide means to preserve the circular shape of the ring when applied to the fabric and vice versa. If a single piece of cloth be attached to a highly flexible ring, it will be apparent that the warp and weft threads of the cloth extend from the center of the ring along four radii spaced ninety degrees apart, but that considering all other radii the warp and weft threads run bias thereto. The effect of this is that the warp and weft threads coinciding with the four radii referred to exert a greater inward strain upon the flexible ring thando the biased portions of the fabric, so that the parts of such ring connected to such biased portions bulge outwardly and most perceptibly at the four diagonal portions midway between the four radii referred to. The serious defect to which I have referred has been overcome by me in several ways.

Referring first to the form of my invention disclosed in Figs. 2 and 3, the cover or top portion of the fabric, and omitting the pendent portion, may be shaped as indicated at 1. in Fig. 2, by first forming the cover portion of the canopy as a true circle. Then, intermediate those portions of the circumference that are intercepted by the four radii, coinciding with the warp and weft threads pre viously referred to, the cloth is cut somewhat scant or of a curvature less than that of a true circle. The ring 3 of suitable metallic or non-metallic material is then applied to the canopy in any suitable manner, as by inserting it in a hem 4 formed therein when the fabric is shaped, the ends of the hem being, if desired, closed after the insertion of the ring. The inward strain of the warp and weft threads conforming to the four radii referred to and of the neighboring warp and weft threads, tends to bulge outwardly the intervening portions of the ring at the points 2-2, 22, but the flattened curvature at such intervening parts is of such predetermined amount as preferably precisely to counteract the outward bulging of the ring beyond a true circle. Hence the shape of the ring when applied is that of a true circle.

I may accomplish the desired result by forming the top of the canopy as a true circle, as indicated at 5 in Fig. 4, and along four diagonal lines 66, 6-6 or at points adiacent such lines provide rows of stitching or other suitable means to strengthen the fabric at the biased portions, so that such portions resist the outward bulging action of the nonbiased portions and counteracting the same, preserve the ring as a true circle. The same effect may be produced by attaching bands or tapes 7-7 or the like along diagonal or adjacent lines of the fabric, as indicated in Fig. 5, or by plaiting the fabric along the lines 7, 7, Fig. 1]., and stitching said plait in place. The same result may be produced by providing, as shown in Fig. 6, segmental webs 88 sewed or otherwise secured together along radiating lines, and thereby connected, as by a hem, to the flexible or other ring. In such form of my invention a large number of radii have Warp and weft threads conforming thereto, and hence resist the deforming action of the biased portions of the fabric. Moreover, the lines of union 9 of said sections resist the deforming action.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 7, I have superposed two fabrics 10 and 11 and have so arranged them that the warp threads and weft threads of one fabric are respectively at preferably forty-five degrees to the warp and weft threads ofthe other fabric. Thus, the deforming action of each fabric is counteracted by the deforming action of the other fabric and t 1e circular con tour of the ring is maintained.

In 9 and 10, I have represented forms of my invention wherein the shape of the ring when positioned is other than circular. In Fig. 9, the ring 12 is represented as elliptical, such conformation being imparted thereto in the case of a highly flexible ring by so shaping the fabric 13 that the normally circular ring is distended into the predetermined elliptical shape when inserted in the hem of the fabric or otherwise suitably connected thereto. In Fig. 10, the fabric 14 is represented as substantially rectangular but with rounded corners.

t is apparent that within the scope of my invention other predetermined forms may be imparted to the flexible ring, according to the requirements of the particular case. If the canopy top be other than circular, it may be provided with any suitable means, such as hereinbefore described, to prevent relative distortion of the fabric and hoop or ring. Such means is indicated at 20 in Figs. 9 and 10 wherein I have conventionally indicater suitable means to resist the described rela-v tive distortion of the hoop and fabric. Said illustrated means 20 may be, for example rows of stitching, such as indicated at 66 in Fig. 1, or band 77, such as indicated in Fig. 5, or any other suitable means may be employed.

In Fig. 12, I have represented the preferred manner of compacting the ring and attached canopy for shipment, the ring being therein represented as coiled into a plurality of circu lar portions of small diameter.

The fabric employed in the practice of my invention may be of any suitable nature and may be either an open mesh or a close mesh fabric. The ends of the ring may be con nected in any suitable manner, as, for example, in the case of a metallic ring by means of a short sleeve 15 overlapping the adjacent ends of the ring and compressed thereon.

Having thus described certain types or embodiments of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims.

1. A canopy comprising in combination a predeterminedly shaped fabric canopy top or cover, and a highly flexible encircling distention hoop connected thereto, said canopy top or cover having transversely arranged warp and weft threads, and also having provisions intermediate the line of strain of said Warp and Weft threads to resist relative distortion of the hoop and fabric.

2. A canopy comprising in combination a predeterminedly shaped fabric canopy top or cover l1avin a hoop receiving hem or pocket, In testimony whereof, I have signed my and a high y flexible encircling distention name to this specification, in the presence of 10 hoop in said h6g1 or pocket,1 said top Oli cover two subscribing Witnesses.

iaving o ose transverse arran 'ec war and weft iz hreads and also hiwing p iovision s ISAAC PALMER intermediate the line of strain of said warp Witnesses:

and weft threads to resist relative distortion FRED E. FOWLER,

of the hoop and fabric. CHAS. M. LAUER. 

